Rupert's Read

Wednesday, 23 January 2013

UNIVERSITY OF HULL PHILOSOPHY RESEARCH SEMINAR

Dr Rupert Read

(University of East Anglia)

Wittgenstein among the 'human sciences':

Some thoughts on the case of medicine

(including psychiatry)

Wittgenstein suggests that we ought to be wary of modelling of all human knowledge and inquiry on the pattern of science. I explore and expound the basis for this wariness, and then go on to apply this thinking to the very important case of medicine. In particular, is ‘Evidence-based medicine’ a benign for instance of science-in-action to improve people’s lives, or is it an imperialist power play designed to drive out art/judgement and values from medicine in the name of an alleged science-based alternative to these? Might there be a philosophy-informed alternative to EBM that improves upon it, through avoiding the scientism arguably present within it? In the case of psychiatry and care for mental-health in general, are there additional reasons to be found in Wittgenstein’s thinking for doubting that an EBM-based–approach can be the right one?

Rupert Read at University of York Speaker Series

Sunday, 13 January 2013

RAIL FARE PROTEST, 2013/01/02

Rail fares have risen [this year] by an average of 4pc across the Greater Anglia network.

The rises could have been steeper but for an intervention by the Government to limit the regulated fare rise to inflation plus 1pc, rather than the planned inflation plus 3pc increase.

But members of the Green Party gathering at Norwich station this morning said the rise was too steep and have demanded rail fares be reduced to an affordable level.

They also called for public ownership of the railways and cuts to carbon emissions through more rail travel.

Leaflets were being handed out asking passengers to take action by tweeting their complaints about fare rises to @transportgovuk using the hashtags #farefail #railfail.

They are also are being asked to email their MP to complain by visiting www.farefail.org.

Rupert Read, from the Green Party, said: “Back in October the coalition government capped the latest rail fare rise at 4.2 percent in order to defuse anger at the 6 percent rise it had planned to allow.

“That was trumpeted by the likes of Transport Minister Norman Baker as a fair deal for passengers.

“But it’s nothing of the sort because even with that reduction, UK train travellers will still be paying some of the highest rail fares anywhere in Europe.

“Yet we are still very far from achieving the kind of efficient, truly integrated public transport system which would benefit us all.”

The price changes mean the price of a peak Anytime return ticket from Norwich to London has climbed 9.2pc, from £98.60 to £107.70. The price of an annual season ticket from Norwich to London will rise from £6,900 to £7,184.